Two men jailed for shooting man at Bridge of Weir farm

Two men have been jailed for attempted murder after repeatedly firing a shotgun at a man at an isolated farm.

Convicted murderer John Docherty, 46, and Don Templeton, 37, from Johnstone, shot James McGurk in the right buttock.

The incident happened at Crosslee Poultry Farm in Bridge of Weir, Renfrewshire, on 31 October 2017.

Gunman Docherty was jailed for 12 years at the High Court in Glasgow, while getaway driver Templeton was sentenced to eight years.

Judge Lord Armstrong told the pair: "This was an unprovoked and concerted attack, a brutally and excessively violent attack with a shotgun. The injuries inflicted were life-threatening and without medical intervention Mr McGurk would have died."

Lord Armstrong added: "John Docherty, you were out on licence when you committed this murderous attack. It was you who fired the shotgun and Don Templeton, you were not the attacker who wielded the shotgun, but you provided the transport."

Defence counsel for both men said they continued to protest their innocence.

The court heard that, before carrying out the attack, Docherty and Templeton stopped at a Tesco petrol station in Linwood to buy fuel.

Their distinctive Mercedes car was caught on CCTV, and was again recorded entering and leaving the farm.

In evidence, Mr McGurk, 42, who buys and sells cars, said he did not know who shot him.

He told prosecutor Paul Nelson: "I can't remember much. It is all a blur to me. I got shot from behind.

"I heard a bang and I was propelled forward."

The jury was shown CCTV footage of an injured Mr McGurk staggering to the nearby farmhouse for help.

Mr McGurk told the court he did not think Templeton had anything to do with the shooting.

He said: "I personally don't see him doing that to me because the two of us were pals. I told the police I didn't know who done it."

Mr Nelson asked Mr McGurk: "Were you involved in anything that might make someone shoot you," and he replied: "No."

However, he told the court that Templeton had been angry about tools which were stolen from him.

Mr McGurk was asked by Mr Nelson: "Were you asked by Mr Templeton if you knew anyone that was stealing tools," and he replied: "Yes."

He gave a name that he had passed on to Templeton and, when asked why, said: "Because he is a thief."

Docherty was jailed for life in 1995 for murdering John Boyd, 69, in his isolated cottage near Patna, Ayrshire.

He killed Mr Boyd with a pair of pruning shears and stabbed him in the chest with a screwdriver to get his cash card.

Docherty was out on licence at the time of the Bridge of Weir shooting and was returned to custody on 5 November 2017.